


the doorway that belongs to you and me

by pollitt



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Derek POV, Derek and Sheriff talk it out, Gen, M/M, Post 3a, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-25
Updated: 2013-11-25
Packaged: 2018-01-02 14:28:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,286
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1057870
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pollitt/pseuds/pollitt
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Derek's back in Beacon Hills and his first stop is the Sheriff's Office.</p>
            </blockquote>





	the doorway that belongs to you and me

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Cousin Shelley (CousinShelley)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CousinShelley/gifts).



> To CousinShelley, I hope you enjoy the story! I had a lot of fun writing it. Happy TW Holidays!
> 
> \----
> 
> Set post-3A, no spoilers for 3B beyond what we've seen in trailers.
> 
> Thank you to my betas, M for working her magic, from story idea through beta, and D for her beta-rificness.
> 
> The title is taken from Mary Oliver's poem "[Coming Home](http://writersalmanac.publicradio.org/index.php?date=2009/02/11)"

It isn’t the welcome sign, with the outdated population count and the re-painted “i” that turned Beacon Hells back into Beacon Hills, nor is it the familiar buildings, radio stations and the seemingly endless forest. Rather--and perhaps weirdly, perhaps not so--it isn’t until Derek walks through the front door of the Sheriff’s Office and sees an unfamiliar face in a familiar tan uniform behind the reception desk that he realizes he’s back. 

If Sheriff Stilinski is surprised to see Derek standing on the other side of the desk, he hides it well. It’s been months since Derek left, and considering that Beacon Hills is now shining like a million-watt searchlight calling anything and everything with a hint of the supernatural to come and see, he wouldn’t doubt if the sheriff has put up some alarms, maybe set up some spies to let him know what’s new (or back) in town. Or maybe the guy is as decent as Stiles said and he’s learned to roll with the punches with whoever shows up at his door. 

“Come on back to my office,” the sheriff says, motioning toward the open door.

Whatever the reason, Derek’s grateful. 

“So, not that it’s not nice to see you without having one or both of our lives in peril or at a crime scene, but I do admit I’m curious what brings you by today,” the sheriff says as he settles back into his chair. “Last I’d heard, you and your sister were heading _away_ from the hills.”

“We were. We did,” Derek answers. “And now I’m back.”

“Yeah, I gathered that much.” The smile that cracks at the corner of the sheriff’s mouth, and the sort of verbal eyeroll that Stiles totally inherited and perfected, sets Derek at ease. “Is it just you?”

He didn’t expect that question, nor did he expect the to see softening of the sheriff’s face into something like worry, although he realizes he should have. Cora told him she’d met Sheriff Stilinski, that she had helped Stiles explain things to his dad. Derek is reminded that caring is a Stilinski family trait.

“Cora’s okay.” Derek smiles, both to offer some reassurance to the other man and to show his gratitude at the question. “After everything that happened, including each of us finding out the other was still alive -- that was reason enough to get away. So we could figure things out, fill in the last _decade_ , practically, of our lives. But there were other things, questions we had to uncover before we could even think of solving them. Her answers aren’t here, mine are. It’s why I came back, and why I came to see you first.”

“Because you need my help?” 

“Mostly.” Derek stops and tries to choose his next words carefully. He doesn’t have all of the answers yet, and trust is… not the easiest thing for him. “Because you deserve to know, too. And if you know what’s out there… Protect and serve, right?”

“And keep my son and his best friend out of the jaws and claws and whatever other dangerous killing appendages danger might be wielding. Speaking of, if I’m the first person you came to see, that means Scott and Stiles don’t know you’re back yet, do they?” 

The comment throws him for a second, but Derek answers. “No, I was going to tell them--” 

“Well that explains it.” The sheriff laughs when Derek gives him a confused look. “I don’t think Stiles could’ve gone more than a day without mentioning you’d come back.”

“I don’t--” 

“It’s fine, son. Just an observation and one that doesn’t need an answer at the moment.” 

“Sheriff, your son is on his way,” the voice on the intercom announces a few footsteps before the door to the office opens and Stiles walks through. He’s midway through a hello to his dad when he sees Derek and stops, his mouth falling open in surprise.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Stiles says, recovering quickly. His voice is a mix of confused and annoyed and surprised. “You didn’t go and get -- I thought you were gone off to places-- When did you get back?”

“It’s good to see you too, Stiles,” Derek replies.

“No, seriously. When did you get back? Where were you? How? Why are you in my dad’s office?” Stiles sits heavily in one of the open chairs, and Derek can’t help but notice the faint dark smudges under his eyes. The slump of Stiles’s shoulders tell Derek that Stiles hasn’t been sleeping much lately.

“Is there something I can help you with, Stiles? Or is this just a social call to say hello to your old man?” Sheriff Stilinski asks. 

“What? No, nothing that needs help. It was just… to be honest, I can’t remember.” Stiles looks over at Derek like he might be a hallucination. “That really is Derek Hale sitting there, right?”

“Yes,” the sheriff answers patiently, and Derek wonders if something like this has happened before.

“You didn’t arrest him again, did you?” Stiles asks, and Derek almost laughs. 

“Nope, I came here on my own. I just got back into town an hour ago.” Derek continues, answering the question Stiles hasn’t yet asked. “After I talked to the sheriff, I was going to come see Scott and you.”

“So you’re back now? Are you moving back to your loft?” Stiles asks, splitting his attention between Derek and his hands. Derek can see a ragged cuticle where he’s worried at the end of his thumbnail. 

“That’s the plan so far.” 

“I’m going to go out on a limb and guess you haven’t restocked the cupboards or turned on the fridge, and there has been quite a bit of restaurant turnover since you’ve been away,” the sheriff starts to say, and Derek can see out of the corner of his eye that Stiles’s eyes are now completely on his dad. “So why don’t you come over to our house tonight for, if not homecooked dinner, at least more informed delivery options. Right, Stiles?”

“Right. Yeah, of course,” Stiles agrees, cracking a smile. “Derek?”

There are probably many reasons why he shouldn’t say yes, but at the moment, Derek can’t think of any of them that would hold form if said aloud. So he doesn’t say them. “Okay.”

“Good, that’s settled. Now if you two will excuse me, I should really get back to my job. Just try not to get into any trouble before the end of my shift.” The sheriff points his finger at Stiles and then at Derek. “And tell that to Scott, too.”

“Right-o, dad.” Stiles offers a quick salute and heads toward the door. 

“Thank you, sir,” Derek says, standing up for his chair. 

The sheriff nods in understanding and offers his hand. “Welcome back, Derek.”

“We should probably go and tell Scott that you’re back. He’ll want to know, and there’s a lot we need to fill you in on,” Stiles says, and Derek lets the familiar beat of Stiles’s voice ground him as they walk past the reception desk and out the door. 

“Do you want to take my Jeep? I can drive you back here after dinner tonight if you want.” Derek blinks and focuses on Stiles, who has his keys in one hand and is pointing at his car with the other. “Unless you need to go to your loft and I can go and get Scott.”

“Just get in the car, Stiles,” Derek says. Stiles’s grin is instantaneous and easy.

As they drive out of the parking lot, Stiles talking about something from the bestiary while Derek watches familiar buildings pass by, it hits Derek that he is home.


End file.
